Vegetable and fruit slicer



E. J. TOMAN VEGETABLE AND FRUIT SLICER June 6, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 9, 1948 n MN Tm m m w d E June 6, 1950 E. TOMAN 2,510,435

VEGETABLE AND FRUIT SLICER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9, 1948 IIIII/III o IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Edward J. Taman JNVENTOR.

June 6, 1950 V E. J. TOMAN 2,510,435

VEGETABLE AND FRUIT SLICER Filed Feb. 9, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 3e 60 66 7 0 44 I "I MN 72 42 latented June 6, l950 This invention relates generally toslicing machines,.and more particularly to aslicerforivegetables :andfruits.

' In food slicers developed heretofore, thematerialis-usuallyied to either'reciprocating-orrotary knives from one's'ide thereof and-"the slices of material are allowed"to"'fall*fromthe-other side o'fthe cutting-element. Inthe'instantfinvention the un'slice'd materialis fed-througha 'gau ge plate into a "rapidly revolving "-ho'l-l-ow cone equipped withveinstocarry the -material therewith while allowing the material toimove eccentrically'a-nd toward 'the=base of' t-he'cone, and a pair of rotary slicer -discs are'ymounteddn spaced coplanar relationship with-the :axes thereof -para1lelito the axis of the revol-ving cone.- "The configuration of therga-ugeplate andthe dimensioning of thevari ouselemerits -is-such*that-the material carried by the revolving cone iseventuallyreversedin its direction of movement -brought "into erigagement with =th'e rotary slicer discs --from the sides -thereof remote "from the gauge plate through i which the material originally entered, and positioning of 'the-gauge "plate relative tothe discs allows *the thieknessof the sliees to -''be varied.

*With the above-brief description of this-invention mmind, the *primary object -of-' this invention wil-l be-understood *to be the provision of a' slioer -=which can be -used to slice material such ars -vegetables and fruits at avery*highrate -of speed so that the slicer 'is partieularly well adapted tor use in eommeroial*establishmentssuchas cameries and the like.

:Another =obj eot of --this invention is-toprovide ai food slicer whiohwan be manufactured in smallensizessfor domestic use.

StilL another obj eetr of this inventiomis to provide a slicer operating upon a novel principle implemented in such a -mannerthat jamming-of the slioer practically made --im-possi-ble, while thefiuniformity of the actual slicing operationis greatem=than-that achieved by"other slicing machines;

:Another objeet of this :invention is to provide I a slieer i which has relatively 'few I "moving; parts, which :easilywmaintained :and serviced and whichdseasilyecleaned.

.F,Md a 1aS 5 object to=-be-mentioned-specizfical1y isz'etoprov-ide assliceriwhich is relatively =inex-pen-. siveand-practicable to manufacture, whioh is safe :simpleito use, and :whi'ch will give general-1y eficientandaiurable service.

With these objects definitely in view; thisinx'ention 'nesidesain oertain-novel features ohcona 2 struetion, -eombination and arrangement {Of elements and pertio'ns as will be "hereinafter deseribed inthespecifioation, -partiqr lar-1y pointed out inthe appended claims, arid illustratedin the accompanying drawings which form a material Qal'tfif this appliqationmnjd inavhioh 'fFiguIe *1 fis-"a three dimensional-Mow of the assembled slieer "Figure-2 is a f r ont rend elevational view of *the slicer with the front end cover plate removed; to facilitate-theillustration of the generail arrangement O'f'fthE-QLB IHBBBS'QfthlS invention;

Figure View-of'fthisdriventienflargely in top plan, ibrit showing -the :cone and portions of the casing in horizonta'hsetion, while the feed chute is=-represented in-fiash-line Figure 4 is alongitudinal vertical sectional view; With-portions some bearings and-the-feed chute being shown inside elevation;

'Fig-ure 5 i is a three dimensional view of l the hollow :f-eeder cone and'the" drive shaft therefor Figure'ii is wherizontalseetional view, des-igned to show particularly the-structure making 'the gauge plateaiijustable theview being taken substantiatly on the irregularsection line =6-5- in Figurefl and portions of the-supporting-webs and theg-augeplateheingshown in-plan;-'and =-Figure 7 ea vertical-sectional view,= talen on a plane ine1ud ing the linel 'l in l 'igure fi.

-:'Si'milar-charaoters of reference designate-simila-r -or*identieal elements=and--portions throughout-the-spedifiezttion-end throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

"-'Referring now to the drawings in detaiL-it is proposedinwtliis i rrvention to provide a i-rame of suitable haraotr avhie-h may inelude a pa-ir -0f channeM-rons i 0,-*a eemplemen t of suitable cross braeesilaand -a' '-tres'tle ll. 'fElectr immotors P6 and 4 Bare ---mounted ripon 'tl-rivframe, the motor t8 hein'g preferablyeadjustahly =mounted on =the trestle 4! 4 as ind-ieated at 20. The frame --also snppofis a pair of-{bearings \2j2pqne or 'both of which qnay be wf --t-l iri 1-st bear-ing type, and -t-he drive-shaft fl'of the eleetric motor 1 6-315 --jou'r-' nalledin these=bearings what will {be considered the front end of :the drive -=shaft 24 a suitable arborarnember zfi -is--used to-mount the hollow substantially 'eoniealieeder cone 28, "as best indicated -in Figures-"3 and{4. "This-cone has an attaohment boss ii-fl and-whatwill be termed the baSeQ-Z-of'the cone revolves with-in an aperture in the verti'eal rearavall -34 of the easing or shield fi. In thisoonneetionwit mayghereibe noted that this shield 36 has a removable pariel 38- which: is illustrated as-reinfiorced with --angle irons 40 and hinged to the main body portion of the shield by means of a hinge pin 42 slidably supported in brackets 44 on the panel. It may also be here noted that the shield 36 is open at the bottom as indicated at 46.

The cone 28 has a plurality of vanes 48 secured to the inner surface thereof by integral flanges 50 and bolts 52, the purpose of these vanes being made clear hereinafter. A pair of slicer discs 54 are mounted on short shafts 56 which are, in turn, journalled in elongated bearings 58 supported on a transverse plate member 60 of the frame, whereby these slicer discs are held in co-planar relationship and spaced apart so that portions 62 of the discs extend within the periphery of the said base.

A gauge plate 64 is adjustably mounted on a horizontal supporting plate 65 which is bolted to the transverse plate member 60, as indicated at 66. The gauge plate 64 is apertured centrally and is provided with a neck 68 and web members which will ordinarily be integral with the vertical portion of the gauge plate and with the base flange 12 whereby the gauge plate is adjustably mounted on the plate 65. It will be noted that the flange member 12 is apertured as at 14 to receive a cam 16 carried on a short shaft 18 terminating at its upper end in the knob 80 and secured by a washer and nut 82 for manual rotation so that the cam 16 will urge the gauge plate toward and away from the portions 62 of the rotary discs 54. An index member or hand 84 may be carried by the knob 80 or shaft 18, cooperating with a graduated scale 86 on the upper surface of the flange member 12, so that the positioning of the gauge plate is clearly indicated to the operator of the machine.

The neck 68 of the gauge plate has secured thereto as at 86 the lower end of a feeder chute 88, and the panel 38 is apertured as at 90 to receive a portion of the feeder chute. The feeder chute and the gauge plate move as a unit when adjustment of the gauge plate is made. It is very important to note that the gauge plate 64 is laterally recessed at 92 to clear the discs 54, and a pair of laterally disposed clamping bolts 94 are used to clamp the gauge plate in position after adjustment has been made by the knob 80, and a pair of lateral guide rails 96 are secured to the sides of the plate 64 to retain the gauge plate in proper alignment when the clamping bolts 94 are released as during an adjustment of the gauge plate.

The operation of this invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connection with the above recitation of the objects sought to be achieved by this invention. Vegetables or fruit, generally indicated by the numeral 98 in Figure 4, will be fed through the feeder chute 88 and through the gauge plate 64 for passage between the rotary discs 54 into the rotating feeder cone 28. The material illustrated at 98 will then be carried outwardly by centrifugal action and will be reversed or moved toward the discs 54, sliding along the vanes 48 and outwardly along the inclined surfaces of the said cone, until contact is made with the side of the gauge plate 64 adjacent to the discs 54. Obviously, this construction allows for accurate adjustment, large capacity and extremely expeditious processing of fruits and vegetables and the like and the objects recited above are amply achieved.

Minor variations may be made in the exact 4 construction and proportionment of the elements of this invention without departure from the spirit and scope of this invention, which scope should be determined only by a proper interpretation of the terminology used in the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A slicer comprising a base, slicing discs rotatively mounted in spaced co-planar relationship transversely of said base, a hollow feeder cone rotatively mounted on said base with the axis of rotation of the cone parallel to and between the axes of rotation of said slicer discs, the base of said cone extending over adjacent portions of said discs, a gauge plate mounted transversely on said base for adjustment longitudinally thereof and on the side of said portions remote from said cone, said gauge plate having a central aperture, a feed chute leading into said aperture, and power means to rotate said discs and said cone.

2. A slicer comprising a base, slicing discs ro tatively mounted in spaced co-planar relationship transversely of said base, a hollow feeder cone rotatively mounted on said base with the axis of rotation of the cone parallel to and between the axes of rotation of said slicer discs, the base of said cone extending over adjacent portions of said discs, a guage plate mounted transversely on said base for adjustment longitudinally thereof and on the side of said portions remote fromsaid cone, said gauge plate having a central aperture, a feed chute leading into said aperture, and power means to rotate said discs and said cone, said gauge plate being arcuately recessed on each side, and said discs having said first mentioned adjacent portions registering within said recesses.

3. A slicer comprising a base, slicing discs rotatively mounted in spaced co-planar relationship transversely of said base, a hollow feeder cone rotatively mounted on said base with the axis of rotation of the cone parallel to and between the axes of rotation of said slicer discs, the base of said cone extending over adjacent portions of said discs, a gauge plate mounted transversely on said base for adjustment l0ngitudinally thereof and on the side of said portions remote from said cone, said gauge plate having a central aperture, a feed chute leading into said aperture, and power means to rotate said discs and said cone, said gauge plate being arcuately recessed on each side, and said discs having said first mentioned adjacent portions registering withinsaid recesses, said cone having vanes secured internally thereon to prevent material from rotational movement relative to said cone.

4. A slicer comprising a base, slicing discs rotatively mounted in spaced co-planar relationship transversely of said base, a hollow feeder cone rotatively mounted on said base with the axis of rotation of the cone parallel to and between the axes of rotation of said slicer discs, the base of said cone extending over adjacent portions of said discs, a gauge plate mounted transversely on said base for adjustment longitudinally there of and on the side of said portions remote from said cone, said gauge plate having a central aperture, a feed chute leading into said aperture, power means to rotate said discs and said cone, and a shield covering said slicer discs'and having an open bottom.

5. A continuous feed slicer including a pair of spaced co-planar revolving slicer discs, a gauge plate on one side of said discs and laterally recessed to register with edge portions of the discs, said gauge plate having a central aperture, a feeder chute leading into said aperture from the side of the gauge plate remote from the cone, a revolving hollow cone having its base opening on the other side of said discs and adjacent said portions whereby a continuous stream of heteromorphic material to be sliced is directed through said chute and aperture into said cone, said discs and gauge plate being substantially co-planar and together covering the base of said hollow cone.

6. A continuous feed slicer including a revolving slicer disc, a gauge plate on one side of said disc and laterally recessed to register with an edge portion of the disc, said gauge plate having an aperture, a feeder chute leading into said aperture from the side of the gauge plate remote 'from the cone, a revolving hollow cone having REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,229,918 Dye June 12, 1917 2,024,353 Goodman, Jr. Dec. 1'7, 1935 2,377,443 Pallmami June 5, 1945 

